A Priceless Privilege—Fifty Years in the Service of God in the Ministry of Jesus Christ

As many know, my wife Beverly and I went through a major change in our lives this week. Len Martin, chairman of the Council of Elders, earlier announced that I was not reconfirmed by the Council to continue as President of the United Church of God, an International Association. Mr. Martin and the Council composed a statement, which was distributed shortly after the ballot and which you may have already seen.

Since the announcement, Bev and I have received many heartwarming notes, emails and calls. It is humbling and we are thankful beyond words for the opportunity to have served so many years in the ministry of Jesus Christ around the world.

As was relayed to me, one of the Ambassador Bible College (ABC) students heard the news and asked instructor Steve Myers, “What will Mr. Kubik do now?” Mr. Myers replied, “He will continue to serve God’s people, just in a different way.”

That was well said and eloquently reflects our thoughts.

To be certain, Bev and I are praying for a peaceful transfer, and that God will inspire and lead the new president. We ask and pray that you will do the same.

To be honest, Beverly and I had wished to continue in this role and complete some projects that were in progress. But we accept this decision graciously. We are so thankful to have served nine years at the helm of the United Church of God. We will forever be thankful to God for this extended period of peace and stability in the Church of God. Our greatest blessing in the Church is you and the many personal relationships that we have shared with so many around the world.

When I was working under Denny Luker a decade ago, and we were going through some extremely tough times in the Church, I was very grateful for his leadership and his unswerving commitment to Jesus Christ and God the Father. He was my mentor. I had no further ambitions. I never dreamed that he would be taken from us so quickly and that I would unexpectedly become President of the United Church of God. With many other selfless servants, we worked together to achieve unity and defend the faith.

Bev and I have had the honor of working with many other dedicated servants, among them Peter Eddington, Mark Welch, Chris Rowland, Aaron Dean, Mario Seiglie, Roy Holladay, and their wives. That list is long, and I apologize in advance for not naming many more names. It has been an honor to help plan and take part in many church events and pursuits. It has been a great privilege to serve as a pastor, to write for various church publications, and to speak and help proclaim and teach the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Bev and I both enjoy the blessing of good health, and those activities will continue as opportunities to serve present themselves.

Since many have asked us what we will do in the future, this is a good place to talk about that.

I plan to retire from full-time work for the Church after the new president is named. As Mr. Martin mentioned in his letter, Bev and I founded LifeNets International 22 years ago, a humanitarian 501(c)(3) organization that has helped many thousands of people—including many Church members—around the world. We have been privileged to help so many people with education, habitat, mobility, food security, agriculture and fresh water—things that are easy to take for granted. We will continue that work.

We also very much look forward to spending more time being grandparents. We had already discussed plans to move back to Indianapolis, where we once worked together in 1995 with many others to organize and found the United Church of God.

The knowledge of the truth and the ability to freely practice it and worship God remain the most important parts of our lives. We are saved by grace and the understanding of our incredible human potential—observing God’s way with the help of the Holy Spirit to become more like Him and be part of His Family—is and will always be a humbling focus for Bev and me.

Each time we have faced a major transition, we have always been humbled by seeing how God takes care of His people, marveling at unexpected opportunities that God had in store.

We do live in tumultuous times. The last two years—and in particular, the last two months—have dramatically spawned events that few would have thought possible.

As I close, I urge you to “draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Seek Him through prayer and the study of His precious word. Pray for each other, pray for the Church, and remember that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, One whose sacrifice opened the way to salvation, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). God is love! (1 John 4:16) Paul instructs us: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love” (Ephesians 5:1-2, New International Version).

I ask that at this time of world turmoil that we all pray for the people of Ukraine who are suffering from the vicious and barbaric invasion by Russia. The outcomes of this war will have worldwide consequences and affect us all. LifeNets is helping with refugees through our Sabbatarian friends, starting with the transportation of humanitarian aid by lorries from Germany to Western Ukraine. You can help by seeing this developing story on our website at lifenets.org.

One final word: I want to give special thanks to my faithful and wonderful wife Beverly who has totally supported me in my ministry. She is a courageous woman who has stood up to every obstacle and challenge in our work. Those who know her also know of her compassion and love for people. Without her tireless work and encouragement, I would be nothing.

It is indeed a priceless privilege for us all to be a vital part of the Church of God. Let us unify together and continue to do the Work!